Asia is registering faster growth in many aspects of biotechnology thanregions such as Middle East, Central Asia, and Europe. Latin America is alsoshowing good growth in the sector. Hungary is also making efforts to grow inbiotechnology. Asia has more number of biotech companies than any otherregion but in terms of value it is comparatively smaller, Gurinder S Shahi,director, Global Biobusiness Initiative, Center for Global BusinessExcellence, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, said.
Kazakhstan has developed biotech capabilities and national biotech assetsthree decades ago. It is planning to establish a biobusiness centre. Thecountry has been more focused on vaccines that protect live stock. It hastremendous knowledge base, the only challenge that lies is developingcommercial capabilities. There is a gap between good science andcommercialization.
Malaysia too has shown enormous interest in the sector. Internationalalliances are happening in Malaysia. There is lot of commercial interestgenerated in the country focusing on biotechnology. The Hyderabad-basedBharat Biotech International has initiated establishment of a vaccinesmanufacturing facility.
Brazil like Kazakhstan has a good science base and has developed expertisein industrial applications. Similar to many developing nations, Brazil issuffering from lack of biotech funding. It has been identified that trainingof investors is much needed in the country. The same problems are witnessedin Western Australia too, he pointed.
Worldwide, biotech incubators are being proposed. These incubators can proveuseful if used properly and may turn as real estate properties if unplanned.These incubators instead of being real estates must become 'brain estates',he added.
Coming to biotech manufacturing, China has proved its strengths inproduction. The Chinese have mastered in manufacturing that too at lowcosts. India is good in development of processes, software and hardware.Innovation is India's strength with capabilities in contract manufacturing,while China is one of the leaders in contract manufacturing.
Taiwan is also becoming innovative. It has started active public-privatepartnership initiatives in biotechnology, under which projects with threeyears life expectancy are encouraged. It is boosting bio-entrepreneurship inthe country. Large funds are expected to be pumped in basic research. Theprojects at ITRI are focusing significantly on biotechnology accounting forabout 30 per cent of the total projects. In next three-four years, hugegrowth is expected, he informed.
It has been realised that the countries that focus on biotechnology neededadvanced training programmes that would help bio-entrepreneurs. TheUniversity of Southern California, US, is planning to offer fresh trainingprogrammes that are tailor made to suit the needs of professionals andentrepreneurs in the biotechnology industry.
With an intention to bring the programme to India, it has signed anagreement with the University of Hyderabad (India), early this year. Boththe Universities plan to introduce the course and training programmes inIndia before mid 2007, he added.The Universities are planning to introduce an executive certificate programme in Biobusiness. This will be an intensive certificate programmethat will run for 1-2 weeks. A diploma programme with duration of about fivemonths is also being evaluated.
The University of Southern California has already introduced the biotechcourse in the US. Countries such as Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Brazil are talkingto the University to offer courses, he informed.